HONESDALE, PA — It’s widely recognized that the availability and the lack of housing is an issue, regionally and across the nation. A new initiative in Wayne County looks to tackle the problem at the local level.

Wayne County released on August 11 a 23-question survey asking residents about their housing situation. It wants to know what type of home residents currently have, their current rent and their annual household income, what barriers exist to owning a home in Wayne County, and what work the county needs to do in order to improve housing accessibility.

Residents can click here to take the survey online. They can also request a paper copy of the survey at their local library and senior center, or at their local township or borough office, and can call 570/253-5970, ext. 4050 to request a physical copy through the mail. Residents can answer anonymously, if desired.

Surveys and studies

The survey is part of a larger housing project undertaken by Wayne County and by Wayne Tomorrow, a community-planning initiative aimed at revitalizing the county’s development.

Wayne Tomorrow put together a housing task force to help address the issues of housing in the county. That task force had its first meeting in June, when it engaged consultants Urban Partners; the group crafted the county’s housing survey.

Urban Partners will conduct stakeholder interviews to supplement the survey, targeting builders, realtors, lenders, landlords and permit officers,  among others.

It’s all part of a larger housing needs assessment and market study that Urban Partners is conducting in partnership with Wayne County and Wayne Tomorrow.

“The project will document existing housing conditions, identify market and other forces that affect supply and demand now and in the future, identify gaps in maintaining equitable access to safe, resilient and reliable housing and identify opportunities for improving and expanding housing options,” reads a press release announcing the survey.

The task force has already identified a number of issues that Urban Partners may need to address, such as addressing the balance of short-term rentals, addressing the lack of centralized sewer and water service, and examining housing vouchers and waiting lists.

The task force has also heard from the area’s social workers about the issues with subsidized housing, according to information on the Wayne Tomorrow website. Social workers said that landlords often don’t understand the process of providing subsidized housing, and that municipalities may not properly align their zoning regulations with the needs of the housing industry.

The study is expected to take four to six months. The county plans to adopt a housing plan following the study and its recommendations, and it tentatively plans to do so before the end of the year.